


theseus & his keeper

by itisjosh



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Antarctic Empire, Bickering, Bonding, Brotherly Bonding, Exile, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Family Shenanigans, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mentioned Toby Smith | Tubbo, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Older Brothers, Sarcasm, Snow, Technoblade-centric (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), raccooninnit pog, sbi family dynamics pog, theseus why the FUCK are you in my basement, theyre so fucking stupid lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28802823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itisjosh/pseuds/itisjosh
Summary: "Tommy. What're you doin' in my house?" Techno repeats."Well, I think it's our house now," Tommy grins at him, kicking himself free, dropping to the ground with a thump. "So..this is my room.""Yourwhat."(alternatively: raccooninnit breaks into his older brother's apartment. illegally)
Relationships: Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 521





	1. theseus, why the fuck are you in my basement

"What're you doin' in my house, Tommy?" Techno stares at his little brother, crossing his arms as Tommy looks back at him, turning his head slowly. Tommy locks eyes with him, a wide grin stretching across his face as he slowly sets potions and books down. "Tommy. Why are you in my house?" Tommy just shrugs, picking up a potion and shoving it in his shirt, and-

Oh, he's trying to run. Techno flicks his hand out, grabbing the kid by the back of his shirt, holding him slightly off of the ground. "Tommy. What're you doin' in my house?" Techno repeats, sighing as he watches potions drop out of Tommy's shirt, shattering when they hit the ground. 

Tommy breathes out, heaving a sigh. "Well, I think it's _our_ house now," Tommy grins at him, kicking himself free, dropping to the ground with a thump. "So..this is my room." Techno blinks, staring at him.

"Your _what_."

"My room," Tommy repeats. "God, are you fuckin' deaf or something? Got shit in your ears?" He crosses his arms, quirking an eyebrow, leaning back on his heels. "This is my room. I'd say I did a pretty good job on it," Tommy grins, spreading out his arms, gesturing to everything in the room. There are golden apples just laying around, potions that have been shoved into bags, swords that litter the ground, knives that poke out from Tommy's makeshift bed. He's got books and maps thrown haphazardly around his room, and Techno can't help but sigh. "What? You don't like how I decorate things?"

"I don't like you," Techno tells him, wondering how the hell Tommy managed to live under his nose for so long. "Tommy, go put my stuff back where you got it. I don't have time to get it back. Is that-" Techno stares at his Totem, closing his eyes. He presses his fingers to his temple, breathing out slowly. "Tommy. Go put that back."

Tommy shuffles a little, and Techno opens his eyes to see Tommy picking at his shirt, pulling out threads. "Well, you see, I _would_ ," Tommy starts, "but I'm not going to. So..that seems like a you problem. Not a me problem," he grins, and Techno wonders if it would be wrong of him to murder a child. "Anyways," Tommy grins even more, crossing his arms against his chest, looking like he's won the argument. "You've got a pretty shit house. Why's it made out of _wood?_ What's the point in building out of something flammable? Personally, I'm a real big fan of cobble, which is superior." 

Techno stares at him. "Tommy, I'm fuckin' retired. I don't need to worry about-" Tommy holds up a hand, effectively shutting him up. Techno blinks when he realises that he's snapped his jaw shut, waiting for what his little brother has to say. God, this fucking _child_. Techno is going to strangle him soon, if not right now. 

"Literally everyone wants you dead," Tommy shoots back. "You're not free from the woodworks yet, Techno," he laughs, clapping his hands together. Techno pretends like that doesn't remind him of Wilbur. "See what I did there? Out of the _wood_ works?" Tommy's eyes shine with something like pride, his grin sparkling in the dim lighting of Techno's second basement. "I'm funny as fuck, Technoblade. I'm pissed that you didn't laugh," Tommy pouts, looking mildly distressed. "I'm either gonna start stabbin' shit or I'm gonna start crying, and neither of those options are good ones, just saying." 

"Ha," Techno says, just to appease him. He glares at his little brother, keeping his hands firmly at his sides. "You're a goddamn menace. I just wanted to farm my bees and my turtles, and _you_ show up?" Techno sighs, running his hands through his hair, dragging them down his face. "How long have you even _been_ here?" Techno asks, crossing his arms. "Tommy. I'm just tryin' to live my best life, and you come here to ruin it for me. Why? Why do you do the things that you do? Why are you the way you are?" Techno heaves a sigh, wishing that he didn't have to deal with this so early in the morning. "Tommy, I'm not happy." 

"That's.." Tommy opens and closes his mouth, a stupid, sly grin working its way onto his face again. "A you problem."

Techno is going to punch this child in the face.

"Tommy," he starts again, holding his head in his hand. "Listen."

"Listening." Techno breathes out, willing himself to not kill his little brother. He'd like to think that it shouldn't be this hard to not kill his sibling, but Tommy makes that so difficult. Tommy in general has made his life literal hell, and although Techno thinks that he'd be mildly bothered if Tommy were to die, he can't be sure. Only one way to find out, he thinks. Techno sighs, forcing himself to stay calm. He can fix his problems later. 

"How long have you been in my basement?" Techno asks, wondering if him being retired means that he can't murder a teenager. He thinks that, since this is his property, he can do what he wants. Techno smiles, a little less annoyed knowing that he can rid himself of this plague at any point in time. "Tommy, answer the question." 

Tommy sighs. "Like, uh, two days? Fuck if I know, big man. I don't pay attention to, like, the fucking stars and shit." 

"It isn't even- okay," Techno breathes in. "You need to stop stealin' my things. I'll give you things if you ask for them, stealin' my stuff isn't gonna make this work," he motions at the space in between them. "How'd you even _find_ me? I made sure to go as far away as possible."

"Not far enough," Tommy grins. "Nah, you were only a couple miles away from me," he waves a hand. "You know, you're awfully demanding," Tommy accuses. "You come down into _my_ room-"

"-it's _my_ house!-"

"-and start yelling at me?" Tommy clicks his tongue, shaking his head. "That's just not very cool of you, Technoblade. I don't like that very much at all. I think that you need to learn some _manners_ , Techno. Really. I'm not just saying that, I really, honestly, truly believe that you need some counseling in the world of manners, because you're just not very good at them." 

Techno stares at him, entirely unimpressed. "Okay. We're goin' upstairs," he reaches out, frowning when Tommy flinches back, jerking his hand to his chest. Tommy's eyes are wide and slightly frenzied, a look that Techno's never seen before. "Tommy, you good?" Tommy blinks, slowly lowering his hands back down to his sides. 

"'Course I am," Tommy puts on his best grin, though it isn't nearly as strong as it had been. "Why the fuck would I go upstairs? You're just gonna kick me out."

"Correct," Techno confirms, already climbing back up the ladder. "I'm gonna drag you out by your ankles and bury you in the snow. I wonder if you'll drown."

"You are so fucking stupid," Tommy calls after him, though Techno can hear him climbing up the ladder, his head popping up a second later. "A real bitch. Did you know that, Technoblade? You are such a bitch. A real _wanker_ , even. You make me so violent, Technoblade. Whenever I see your face, I just want to punch something, did you know that?" Techno smiles, ducking his head at the words. They're familiar, if he thinks back long enough. He remembers when Phil first came home with Tommy, and the kid's first words to him were- "Hey, bitchboy. You're looking at me funny." 

Techno blinks.

_Hey, bitchboy. Stop looking at me funny, yeah?_

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry," Techno drawls, pretending like the words don't make his heart do backflips as he remembers simpler times. Easier times. "Let me just grovel at your feet, TommyInnit." 

Tommy grins, puffing out his chest as he finally pulls himself out of the hole in the ground. "Damn fucking right. Anyways," Tommy clicks his tongue again, nodding in approval at the house. "I think you should use more cobble, but other than that," he shrugs. "Not as shit as it could be, I suppose. I think I'll redecorate."

"You will _not_." Tommy's grin widens, his eyes shining with mischief and deviousness. 

"Oh, I absolutely will," Tommy assures him. "Don't worry, Technoblade. When have I ever done anything wrong in my entire life?" Techno opens his mouth to repeat the list that's constantly in his head- "That's right, never. You can't even think of anything." 

Techno sighs. "Tommy, I'm actually gonna kick you out if you're not careful," he turns away, looking towards his kitchen table and then back to his little brother. Techno can see his ribs from under his shirt, and he isn't going to let that stay that way. "Come on. I'm gonna make you some food, other than whatever the hell you've stolen from me," he moves past Tommy, turning back to look at him. "You comin'?" Tommy blinks at him, standing a little straighter, as if he doesn't believe Techno. 

"Uh..yeah, sure," Tommy mumbles, dragging his feet as he wanders towards the kitchen with him. "You know, I thought you'd be, like, I don't know. Angrier." 

"Tommy, I'm long past my angry phase," Techno assures him. "I've gone into my acceptance and grievin' stage," he smiles, pulling out a knife from his knife rack, grabbing a plate. He turns back to face Tommy, pointing the knife at him, grinning. "But I'm ready to go right back into that angry phase if you do anythin' at all to annoy me, even slightly. You got that, Tommy?" 

"Message not received," Tommy grins. "I think that I'll just keep stealing shit. That sounds like fun to me." 

Techno sighs, but he can't ignore the happiness that grips his chest. 

Theseus is finally back home, it seems. He doesn't know where Tommy came from or who he's very clearly running from, but Techno intends to protect his little brother until the day he dies. So long as Tommy's at least as safe as he can be, Techno thinks that he'll be able to rest easy. Tommy leans back on his chair, laughing and rambling on and on about things that Techno doesn't really care about, but he still listens just to appease his little brother.

He can't help but hope that this lasts. 


	2. get in theseus, we're going hunting

"And so I went downstairs, and Tommy was in the basement, stealin' all of my things. He had my Totem of _Undyin'_ , Phil. My Totem! The _one_ thing I specifically hid as best as I could so no one would even try and find it! But of _course_ he found it, of course he did. God, Phil, what is _wrong_ with him? What's wrong with _me?_ " Techno looks down at his hands, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Phil, I've gone soft. This cannot be happenin' to me. Phil, I've been corrupted. I'm gonna kick him out right now. I have to get rid of him before I get attached, oh _god_ , I'm gettin' attached to this goddamn _child_ , good fuckin' _lord_ , oh my-"

"Techno," Phil laughs, though it's followed by a sigh immediately after. "Cease, you're fine. Calm yourself, breathe some air. Tommy isn't going to cling onto you, Techno. He's literally got nothing, the only reason he's here is to steal from you. I don't think you have to worry about going soft for a kid who only wants to bite your ankles and take your shit," Phil grins. "Trust me, Techno. He's only gonna stay until he gets what he wants out of you. Don't worry too much about getting attached, it won't last very long."

Techno wishes he could explain why he feels like he wants to yell at Phil. He wishes he could explain why he wants to tell Phil that he's wrong, that Tommy isn't like that, that he'll stay, that he won't use Techno as a weapon. "I guess," Techno settles on, looking down at his feet. "I don't want him to, like, _die_ , Phil. I'm not tryin' to sell him out to Dream or anythin'. Somethin' bad happened to him in exile, and it's real clear that it was _really_ bad, Phil. He's not like, a good person, but neither are we, right?" Techno raises an eyebrow, leaning back on his heels. "I'm not gonna kick him out. If he takes my things and runs, then I'll just..never trust anyone other than you ever again. How's that sound?"

Phil smiles at him, his eyes shining with something like concern. "I really do hope that he doesn't do that to you, Techno," Phil sighs, turning his head. "But I really don't think he'll stick around and do whatever you propositioned to him. He's a stubborn kid, Techno, he really fucking is. It's goddamn unbelievable how much he's survived through and hasn't died forever yet. Tommy does whatever he has to do to live, and if stealing your things and using you is what it takes, then, well," Phil shrugs. "You see where I'm going with this, right? I don't like saying that about him, but I'm just trying to look out for you. It's happened to you too many times." Techno gnaws on the inside of his mouth, wincing when he tastes blood a second later. 

"He's just a kid, Phil. He's a kid who's been through literally everythin' bad. I think that he'll use me until he realises that he's doin' it, and then he'll stop. I get that you're worried, but.." he sighs, squeezing his eyes shut. "I think he'll listen to me, Phil, really. I really think he will, I'm not just sayin' that. I think that he'll listen to me, and I think everythin' might just end up okay. I don't think he'll bomb L'manberg with me, but that's to be expected, huh?" Techno laughs, ducking his head even though he doesn't feel like laughing was the right reaction. "Phil, I think that I just want Tommy to be oka-"

"You want Tommy to what?" Techno sighs at the sound of Tommy's voice, craning his head to look over at the kid who broke into his house. "Are you two really chatting shit about me behind my back?" Tommy asks, scoffing as he wanders into the kitchen, bumping past Phil and Techno. "I literally live here, you know that I can just come out of my room and listen to you, right?" He snorts, opening a cabinet. "You've really got fuck all in here, huh? Techno, you know that I live here. You didn't restock?"

Techno wonders if he should take back everything good he's ever thought or said about Tommy. 

"I am not makin' accommodations for you," Techno glares at him, swatting at his arm. Tommy flinches, jerking it back, and Techno quickly stops. He moves his hands back, taking a step away from Tommy, giving him more room to get away, to get away from _him_. "We can..go huntin', I guess?" Techno asks, trying to make his voice softer, lower. Less threatening. "Wanna come with us, Phil?"

Tommy stares at him, his eyes widened, but not nearly as frenzied as they had been. "Hunting?" Tommy asks, his voice cautious. "Why the fuck would I actively go hunting to get food? Jesus Christ, Technoblade, do you ever think before you open your mouth?" Tommy scowls, continuing to root through his cupboards like a raccoon. Techno has decided that he no longer likes Tommy, and will be kicking him out immediately. "Hunting," Tommy announces, "is for losers. And I am not a loser. I am a big man, and I will not go hunting." 

Phil locks eyes with him, and Techno just sighs, giving him a helpless half-shrug. "Tommy," Phil sighs, crossing his arms. "If you don't come hunting with us, I am going to drag you by the back of your shirt to the turtle farm, and I will drown you." 

"Phil," Techno hisses, jerking his hand across his throat. "Stop threatenin' him immediately after exile." 

"He deserves it!" Phil protests, looking slightly confused. "He's a little shit, Techno! He's gotta learn his lesson, and if I have to _waterboard_ him to make him learn, th-"

"What the _fuck_ is waterboarding?" Tommy asks, spinning around on his heels. "The actual _fuck_ is waterboarding, Phil? The fuck you gonna do to me, bitch?" Phil looks at him, and Techno sees thousands of emotions flash behind Tommy's eyes. He looks like a kid who just got caught lying, a kid who doesn't want to disappoint his dad. Techno blinks, frowning at the realisation. Does Tommy see Phil as his _dad?_ To be fair, Techno thinks, he would be lying if he told himself he hadn't called Phil dad before. Even if it was on accident, it's happened before, and he tried to erase it from his memory as quickly as possible. "Okay, okay, sorry!" Tommy laughs, holding up his hands. "Sorry, sorry! Christ, Phil, when you look at me like that, I swear I've just commited fuckin'..mass murder, or some shit. Jesus fuck, oh my god," Tommy sighs, wrinkling his nose. "Fine. _Fine!_ I'll go kill shit with you guys." 

"Ayy," Phil grins, clapping Techno on the shoulder. "Easy, see? Just look at him and he absolutely loses his shit," Phil turns, moving away from him. Techno watches as he grabs his cloak, tying it around his neck as he adjusts and shifts into his coat. "Wait, fuck. I didn't finish Tommy's cloak. Techno, do you have any extra, or.."

Techno breathes out, pressing his thumb and forefinger to his temples. "I can just give him my coat, it's fine," Techno starts to walk, grabbing his coat off of the hook, tossing it to Tommy, who stumbles trying to catch it. "Don't lose that. Put it on and keep it on until we get back, yeah?" Techno snorts, smiling at his unofficial roommate. "I'm not gonna bother Phil even more by makin' him make a new one 'cause you lost the one I gave you, okay?" Tommy blinks at him, sliding on the coat, adjusting the hood so it's a little tighter. It's a way too big for him, a bit too short, but it works. 

"Uh, yeah," Tommy nods, staring down at his feet. "Thanks. I figured you'd just, like, you know. Use me to lure out bears 'nd shit. Are there any bears around here?" Tommy looks up, his confusion replaced with a mask of cockiness and pride. "I think I could take on a bear," Tommy grins. "I definitely could beat the shit out of a bear, no hesitation. I'd kick the shit out of a bear. I would win every fight ever against a bear." 

Techno laughs, wondering if it's even worth it to wear his scarf. He doesn't have his coat, and he's only in a t-shirt and jeans and boots, and..he sighs. A scarf isn't going to help him against the cold, nothing is. He grabs his gloves, sliding them onto his hands, running his hands through his hair. "You would literally die," Phil tells him. "No way in hell would you win against a _bear_. Have you even fucking seen a bear, Tommy? Jesus Christ, Tommy, you are a _menace_. It'd tear you to literal shreds," he sighs, turning away. "Techno, I think we should throw him in a pit against a bear to see how he does." Techno rolls his eyes, already shivering when Phil opens the door. 

"I'd definitely win, no way that I wouldn't," Tommy laughs, shoving his way in between the two of them, looping his arms over their shoulders. "So, fellas. What're we gonna be hunting for?"

"A bear to put in a pit with you." Techno deadpans. 

"Ha ha," Tommy glares at him. "Fuck you, Technoblade. You're a real bitch, you know that? You are such a bitch. An absolute wanker. I do not like you whatsoever."

Techno grins, tossing his hair over his shoulder, listening to the way it hits Tommy in the face. "Phil, he's tryin' to hex me. Do you hear this child?" He sighs. "No respect at all. I'm sick and tired of him already. Tommy, I hate to inform you of this so abruptly, but uh.." Techno grins. "I'm kickin' you out. Lease is up, you're not allowed to stay here anymore. You gotta pack your bags and get outta here." Tommy laughs, nudging Techno with his elbow as they walk. 

"Like that'd get rid of me. You really think you can get rid of me that easily, Technoblade? 'Cause you absolutely cannot, no fuckin' way in hell can you get rid of me. I'm like a raccoon 'nd shit!" Tommy grins. "Living in the floorboards and causing problems," he pauses, looking like he isn't nearly as nervous as he had been. " _On purpose_. I love causing problems on purpose. It's my number one favourite thing to do." 

"I thought your favourite thing to do was sellin' drugs?" Techno raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that how all of this started?"

Phil nearly doubles over laughing, and Techno doesn't know why, since he was being serious. "Uh," Tommy clears his throat, standing a little straighter. "Yeah, um, uh..we don't talk about that. At all. Never mention that to me ever again, Technoblade. Do not mention the drug van and how Wilbur used it to cook-"

" _No_ ," Techno cuts him off. "I do not need to know what Wilbur did in his spare time. He's a free man, he can do what he wants. None of my business, not my problem. Good for him, makin' a livin' off of.." Techno breathes in. "A..drug van."

Tommy sighs. "Sometimes I would like to think that I miss him, but oh my _god_ ," he laughs. "Don't get me wrong, I love Wilbur! He's my friend, my brother, my _bro!_ But sometimes I look at him, and I just go, "oh Jesus," and not in the good way. Because, listen, he does a lot of shit. Like, a _lot_ of shit. And as much as I love him, sometimes I just have to stand there and watch him do the things he does with my hand over my mouth, 'cause there's no way in hell I'm gonna stop him, but _god_. You know?"

Techno blinks. "You really did just describe Wilbur perfectly, Tommy. How'd you manage to do that?" Tommy laughs, tilting his head back when he does. He claps his hands, and Techno tries his best to pretend like that still doesn't remind him of Wilbur. "He does a lot of questionable things, but I never had it in me to tell him off. I watched him burn down a small forest once," Techno tells them. "And he did not exit that forest to burn it down, no, he just stayed in there."

"He's.." Phil laughs, a mourning grin on his face. "He was always something special. A force to be reckoned with, really. He got an idea in his head and then he'd do it, no matter what. No matter how outlandish or just plain fucking dumb it was, he'd do it. He'd almost get himself killed in the process, but he'd still do it. Wilbur really was just one of a kind. There's never gonna be anyone else like him, literally ever. He's too goddamn unique to be copied." 

Tommy furiously nods, and Techno laughs in agreement, wondering if Tommy knows that Phil was the one who killed Wilbur. He probably doesn't, and Techno thinks it'd be best to keep it that way. "True," Tommy laughs, ducking his head. "True, very true. Not to be mean, but I think we're not actually going to have any animals come out. And I'm not blaming it on you being loud, but I'm also not _not_ blaming it on you being loud. So if you could both shut up, like, indefinitely, I think that would be very cool of you."

Techno stares at him. "I am goin' to leave you out here in the cold until you literally die of hypothermia." Tommy stares at him, very obviously unimpressed. 

"Well, that's just fuckin' rude, Technoblade."

"Both of you," Phil raises a hand, narrowing his eyes at them. "Shut. Cease. I'm going to leave you out here, together, _without_ a mediator, and I'll let you fight to the death. Now," he grins, pulling out his sword. "Let's teach Tommy how to hunt."

Techno grins in return, pulling out his own sword. "Agreed." 

And, although he pretends like he doesn't think it, he can't help but think of Tommy like his little brother. Techno can't help but think of Tommy as his little brother, as _family_ , and he doesn't know what that means for him. 

Nothing good, he thinks. 

Nothing good ever comes from thinking of someone as family. Techno would know. 

But this time, for the first time in a while, Techno genuinely hopes that this will last. 

And as he looks at Tommy laughing in the snow, his ears red and his eyes bright, he can't help but think that everything might just stay this way. 


	3. theseus, are you alright?

Techno nearly kicks in the door as he returns from his trek out into the wilderness, his bare arms numb and red. Tommy still has his coat, and Techno hasn't bothered to ask for it back, so really, it's his fault. It isn't like he minds all that much, or else he definitely would ask for his coat back, but he doesn't really care. He sighs, not hearing Phil or Tommy, frowning when the silence starts to echo in his ears. He's gotten so used to hearing Tommy laugh or shout or argue with Phil that the silence is..shocking. Techno got so used to hearing nothing but silence when he first came out here. His only talking partner had been the snow, and even that was barely any noise to drown out all the thoughts that swam in his mind. 

He frowns, shifting awkwardly on his feet as he closes the door behind him, swallowing back the lump in his throat. Techno tosses the fire he gathered into the fireplace, watching as it ignites a few moments later, the fire that was already there spreading in a matter of seconds. He doesn't like the silence anymore, he thinks. Techno spends all of his time listening to Phil and Tommy talk or move around in their shared home, and it feels so _off_ to not hear them. For the fire time in days, almost a week now, Techno is entirely alone, and he doesn't know how to feel about it. Not good, he thinks. Not good at all. Techno moves to his kitchen, dragging his fingers over chairs and countertops as he passes them, watching as stray pieces of dust flutter to the ground, sighing when he sees Tommy's chair pulled out. 

Techno can only assume that they left when he was out, they must have. They must've taken a different, path, too. Why else wouldn't they meet up along the way? Maybe they went to L'manberg, or maybe they went to the turtle farm. Or maybe they're just really quiet and below him, but Techno doesn't think that's likely. He runs his fingers along the top of Tommy's chair, wincing when he feels a splinter burrow into his finger. Techno looks away from the kitchen table, glancing towards the ladder that leads to the first floor, the one that leads up to his attic. He wishes that it didn't look as lonely as it does. 

Techno wonders for a brief moment if they've left him. If Phil has taken Tommy and they've gone back to L'manberg for good. Techno shakes his head, ridding himself of those thoughts as quickly as he can. He knows that, even if he can't really trust Tommy, he can trust Phil. Phil would never do that to him, not after everything that they've been through together. There's no way in hell that Phil would hurt him like that, not after every single thing that Techno has told him. Techno enlisted all of his trust in Phil, and if that trust is broken, if it's being broken right now, he'd..

He doesn't know what he'd do. Techno doesn't know what he would do if after all this time, Phil got rid of him. If Phil went back to L'manberg and never came back, Techno thinks that he'd..he doesn't know. A part of him is screaming at him, telling him that he would break down and be broken forever, that he'd scream out into the wild, that he would cry. Techno only remembers crying five times total, only one of them being recent enough to be embarrassed about. Techno wonders if embarrassment is the right word for it, and he decides that no, it isn't. Weakness, however, is. Techno is weak when he cries, he's weak when he breaks and shatters. Technoblade refuses to be weak, he can't be weak. Weakness is what hurts people, it's what gets them killed. He can't be weak.

The first time was when he first met Phil. Techno was standing in the Nether, surrounded by Piglin that were supposed to protect him, but they had all turned on him, they were going to kill him. Techno was on the verge of being executed as a child when Phil found him, taking him home and bringing him down from his panic. Techno remembers sobbing into the side of Phil's shoulder, crying for hours on end until he couldn't cry anymore, and he promised himself that he'd never do it again. He promised a lot of things, and he's only broken the no-crying promise. Everything else has stayed completely solid. 

The second time was when he first met Tommy. He was just a skinny kid with his ribs showing, dirt smeared under his eyes and his hair matted. His clothes were torn and shredded, and Techno felt his heart shatter when he saw him at first. Tommy looked so young, he _was_ so young, and Techno saw himself in the boy. He saw the same fire, the same hurt and pain that reflected in his eyes, and he couldn't help but break down at the sight of him. He managed to get to his room before Tommy saw him cry, but Techno thinks that the damage had already been done.

The third time was when Wilbur died. Techno visited his grave and started crying as soon as his saw the headstone, hiccupping sobs that never seemed to end, no matter how hard he tried to wipe away the tears. He tried to wipe away the pain and the memories, but it only made it worse. Wilbur was never officially his twin, but everyone said they looked alike until Techno dyed his hair, so that's always what he had called him - his twin. Techno had heard tales that twins shared part of their soul with each other, that they were so closely intertwined that their souls were merged together in a way that could never be explained to anyone. Wilbur died, and half of Techno's soul went with him.

The fourth time was when he had to run from L'manberg. Techno thinks that those were angry tears, not ones out of sadness, but he still cried nonetheless. He screamed in the snow and slammed his fists against the ground, anger tightening his chest as he yelled and begged for Wilbur to come back, as he screamed at Tommy and Tubbo for repeating history. Techno dug his hands into the ground, grabbing fistfuls of snow, numbing his hands until they turned blue, his ears turning red and freezing over as he sobbed into the snow, begging his family to come back. He begged his family and his friends to stop using him, to stop treating him like a tool, like a weapon. He screamed and cried and begged and froze for hours. Techno doesn't remember how he got himself off of the ground and into the village he found, but he tries his best to not think about his first night away from L'manberg. 

The fifth time, the most recent time, was when Phil was taken away from him. Techno felt nothing but hatred and fear and anger and _worry._ He was so scared, he was terrified that they would hurt Phil to get to him, that they would torture him or torment him, that they'd hurt him somehow, that they would try and goad Techno into doing something stupid. He figured that Tubbo wouldn't do something like that, but he assumed so many things and so many of those things had been wrong, so he drowned out his hope and his expectations and buried his mind with worry and hurt. He cried when he made the invisibility potions, shouting at the brewing stands to work faster, nearly breaking bottles to take out his anger, to focus on something other than what they surely were doing to his dad.

And now, standing in the silence of his home, Techno thinks that there might be a sixth time.

Techno stares at the emptiness of his home, the lack of Tommy and Phil weighing on his mind. He feels his eyes start to water, and he shakes his head, furiously trying to stop them before they start. There's no way in hell he's crying, not again. _But what if something happened to them? What if they're hurt? What if they were taken, what if Quackity or Karl or Ranboo took them away? What if they dragged them back to L'manberg? What if Dream found Tommy? What if?_ Techno breathes out, gripping the back of Tommy's chair even harder, closing his eyes as he waits for the urge to cry to subside, wishing that he didn't have it in the first place. They'll be okay, they have to be. Both of them are smart, Phil's probably the strongest person he knows. They have to be okay, both of them have to be alright. They'll be okay. Surely, they'll be okay. 

His family is smart, they're both smart. Phil is strong and his smart and he's good at getting himself out of danger and bad situations, and if Tommy is with him, which is must be, then they'll both be okay. They have to be. They _have_ to be.

He bites down on his lip, looking away from the ladder after a few moments of waiting. No one opens the door or even enters the house, there's no sound around him other than the blood pounding in his ears, threatening to drive him insane. Even the quiet voices that he normally hears in his head are dead silent, leaving him entirely alone for the first time in weeks. Techno would never call himself an extrovert, he doesn't _like_ being around people. But Tommy and Phil aren't _just_ people, they're his _friends_ , they're his _family_. Techno can't spend the rest of his life alone when he _just_ didn't have to do that anymore. Techno finally got to have people back in his life, and they're gone, they're already _gone,_ and-

"Hey, big man!" Tommy shouts, slamming the door open. 

Techno feels all of his worries die when he hears Tommy and Phil laughing, cackling in sync about something stupid. He breathes out, quickly letting go of Tommy's chair, immediately turning to the counters, pretending like he's just been looking for something to eat. "You two are finally back," Techno calls back, trying to lace his voice with its usual monotone. "Where'd you go?" He turns his head to the ladder, breathing out a sigh of relief when Tommy's head pokes up, followed by Phil when he finally climbs the ladder. "You guys left after I did, and I didn't see you. Where'd you head off to? I figured I would have seen you both when I was comin' back, but I didn't."

Tommy shrugs off his coat, _Techno's_ coat, tossing it onto Phil's chair. "Just wandering around, you know how it is, yeah?" He grins, running a hand through his hair. "Nah, Phil showed me around a little bit, just so I wouldn't get lost or whatever. He figured that we'd be back before you, but he found a fucking ravine or whatever, and he _left_ me alone to go fucking explore it. I was literally alone for three hours, Technoblade. Can you believe that shit? I literally started to sob and wallow about my life," Tommy sighs. "Woe is me, Technoblade. I think I may just die from the crippling agony I experienced today." Techno smiles along with his little brother's words, listening as Phil laughs and tries, uselessly, to protest against them. 

"He's such a little fucking liar, Techno, oh my god," Phil laughs, hanging up his coat on the hook where it's supposed to go. "I cannot believe I didn't shove him down that ravine. It would've been _so_ worth it. Good thing I know where it is," he grins, brushing past Tommy. Tommy flinches back, his hand flying down to his belt, gripping the hilt of his knife. He immediately relaxes when Phil turns back around to look at him, his hands resting on his hips instead of reaching for a weapon. "You good there, Tommy? Sorry, didn't mean to, like, shove you out of the way." Phil laughs. Techno thinks that if he knew what he just did, he wouldn't be laughing. 

"Nah, you just spooked me for a second," Tommy snorts. "I completely forgot that we weren't in front of that ravine and you didn't actually shove me down it. Call it.." he grins, "PTSD, or something. Whatever the fuck's it called." Techno grins, ducking his head to hide it. Tommy doesn't need to have his ego boosted anymore, Techno thinks. He smiles at Phil when the man looks mildly disappointed, which he always does.

Phil rolls his eyes. "You don't have PTSD from the ravine. Anyways," he sighs, looking over at Techno. "How was your hunt for firewood? Get any extra, or just the shit that you threw in the fireplace?" He asks, propping his legs up on the table. Techno looks past him, his eyebrows furrowing when his eyes land on Tommy. He still looks nervous and jittery, shifting and swaying on his feet. Techno watches Tommy carefully, frowning when the boy very obviously switches between emotions. "Hey, Techno? Did you hear me?" Techno shakes his head, running a hand through his hair as he looks away from Tommy, looking to Phil instead. 

"Yeah, sorry. I just got distracted," he offers a tired smile, glancing back over to Tommy. "But, uh, yeah. Nothin' more than what's in the fireplace. I can get more if you need me to," Techno raises an eyebrow at his adoptive father. "Not the biggest deal to me if you want me to go out 'nd get more, or whatever," Techno shrugs, trying to keep his gaze away from Tommy. "Did you two pick up anythin' while you were out?" Phil sighs, pointing a finger over at Tommy. 

"I found a deer," Phil sighs. "I was about to shoot it, and Tommy started to shout about some goddamn..rabbit, or whatever."

Tommy laughs, grinning as he leans back on his heels, the worry completely wiped off his face. But as Techno looks at him, he can tell that Tommy's emotions are just a maks, they're just hiding his true feelings. Techno has done the same thing so many times, he knows how to recognise it now. Wilbur would always do it, too. "To be fair," he holds up his hands, grinning a little more. "It _was_ funny."

"I literally almost shot you," Phil glares at him. "You're so annoying, oh my god. I'm gonna shoot you for real next time. You shouldn't hunt with me for the next week or so," Phil threatens, though it's all in good-nature, Techno can tell. He's learnt both Phil and Tommy's languages, even though they're complicated and hard to understand. "Techno, wanna be my hunting buddy? We can leave the kid here." Techno scoffs, leaning back against his counters. 

"No way. I'm not lettin' Tommy stay here on his own," Techno crosses his arms. "He'll steal everythin' I own, Phil. Like, literally everythin'. I am not bein' dramatic," Techno scowls. "He'll steal _everythin'_. I'll come back home and it'll all be gone." 

Techno wants to be here for him. He wants to make sure Tommy's okay, he wants to make sure that no one comes here and finds him alone while he's out. If something bad happened to Tommy while he was away, Techno thinks that he'd never forgive himself for it. He would never be able to look at himself the same way, knowing that he left Tommy alone and he could have brought him with. Techno would never stop blaming himself for it, and he would never stop looking for the person who hurt his little brother. 

Of course, he says none of those things. 

"Okay, rude," Tommy glares at him. "That's awfully rude of you to say to my face, Technoblade. When have I ever stolen once?" Techno opens his mouth, and Tommy immediately cuts him off. "That's right, never. You can't even think of anything. There's never been one singular time that I've ever done anything wrong. I am just a.." he pauses, scrunching up his face. "What's that thing called? Where you're all good 'nd pure 'nd shit?" 

Phil sighs. "You're just a paragon of virtue, huh?" 

"That's the one," Tommy grins. "Yeah, that's me! Paragon of virtue! I like the sound of that, Philza. You should just start callin' me _Paragon,_ how's that sound? Call me Paragon from now on, or _else_." Techno rolls his eyes. 

"Phil, could you kindly leave my property so you can't be considered a witness for what I'm about to do to this child?"

Phil grins at him, his eyes shining as he turns away, waving a hand. "I thought you'd never ask. Okay, bye! I'll help you get rid of the evidence! I'll be in the Nether for a bit, but I'll come back with a shovel, yeah? Alright, bye!" And then he's gone, disappearing down the ladder. Techno hears the door to the outside close a second later, and he can hear Phil's footsteps slowly fade away as he walks from the house to the portal. 

Techno breathes out, carefully locking eyes with Tommy. "Can we, uh.." he looks away, swallowing past the lump in his throat, not entirely sure why he's so nervous around this _kid_. Techno could pick Tommy up and throw him into the sun, and yet he's afraid. He's scared that he'll make the wrong move, that he'll say something wrong. That he'll move too fast, and Tommy will freak out and run. "Can we talk, Tommy?" Techno asks, hoping that he looks and sounds sincere enough. Tommy blinks back at him, frowning. 

"Of course, uh, what's up?" Tommy sits down in Phil's chair, resting his arms on the table. "You good, Blade? You're never serious. Like, ever. All you do is go around and grumble, like, " _ohh, I'm the Blade! Potatoes! Blood for the blood god! Oh, hrmm, oh! Murder? Ohh, government, government bad!"_ That's how you sound, Technoblade. Did you know that? Or were you lucky enough to be unaware until now?" Techno sighs, unable to keep the fond smile off of his face. 

"I'm serious, Tommy. I..what happened to you?" Techno asks. "When you were in exile."

Tommy looks up at him, sitting a little taller, tilting his head up slightly. "And why do you wanna know?" Tommy asks, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You didn't seem to really care when I was actually in exile. Why're you asking now, Techno? What're you up to?" Tommy scowls, looking uncomfortable and nervous, and if Techno looks at him hard enough, he looks scared. 

The last time he saw Tommy scared was when he held a crossbow to Tubbo's chest. 

"I.." Techno sighs, looking away. "Listen, Tommy. I know that I'm not a good person, and I'd like to think that I don't try to pretend that I am. But you're my little brother, Tommy. And that kinda bond, what we've got, that stuff doesn't really..go away, you know?" He breathes out, wishing that this wasn't nearly as hard as it was. "What I'm gettin' at, Tommy, is that I care about you. And I'm bad at sayin' it, but I..you..know?" Techno offers, completely lost. "I just..figured that I'd ask if..you know. Maybe you'd like to talk about it, or whatever. You don't have to," Techno looks away, shrugging. "I don't know. What I'm gettin' at is, just, you know. You can talk to me about things, Tommy. I don't mind. I want you here, okay?" He stares down at his feet. "I wouldn't have let you stay if I didn't want you to be here." 

Tommy stares at him, completely silent for what seems like forever. 

"Well," Tommy laughs, awkwardly and nervously. "Dream sort of just..kept me there. And so, uh.." he shrugs. "I didn't have much of a..I don't know. Not much really happened," Tommy shrugs. "I just..you know? Stayed there until I got sick 'nd tired of it, and then I said, "hey, green bitch, I'm out of here," and so I left. Not much else to it." 

Techno frowns, but he nods. It's the most information he's gotten out of Tommy ever since he got here. "So..Dream was the one who.." he frowns. "Tommy, when you came here, you wouldn't look me in the eyes. Every single time someone touches you or bumps you, you flinch. Tommy, did Dream.." Techno feels the pieces click together in his head, and he feels anger grip at his chest. "Did Dream hurt you, Tommy?"

Tommy doesn't say anything. 

"Why would you think that?" He laughs, refusing to look at Techno. "There's- there's no reason to think that, is there?" Tommy snorts, and Techno watches as he slowly starts to get out of his chair, looking like he's trying to escape. "Why would you..why.." Tommy swallows, standing up, kicking away the chair. "Listen," Tommy crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Don't..you don't need to fucking know anything. You don't know anything!" He shouts, backing up until his back hits the wall. "You know nothing about what happened to me- you never even cared!" Tommy hisses, something like rage filling his eyes. "You didn't care, you didn't- you didn't.." Tommy's chest heaves, his entire body shaking. 

"Tommy, that's not-"

"Shut up!" Tommy shouts, flinching away from Techno, even though he hasn't moved. Techno flinches back, moving farther away from Tommy, moving back as far as he can go. "You..you're just a son of a bitch, Techno," Tommy snarls. " _Fuck_ you. Fuck you!" Tommy raises his voice to a scream, his eyes pricking with tears. "I don't..you.." he turns away. "Fuck you. I hope you rot, I hope you- I hope.. _fuck_ you!" 

And then he's down the ladder, his footsteps slamming into the ground, echoing in Techno's ears and head. 

Techno watches him go, he watches Tommy slip out of his grasp. 

He sinks down to the ground, dragging his legs up to his chest, resting his head on his knees.

Techno refuses to cry for the sixth time, but he's so, so unbelievably close to breaking. Techno can't, he can't break. He can't be weak anymore, he cannot be weak. Technoblade is not weak, he isn't weak. He's not weak. But he is. Techno is weak, he's _weak_ , and he hates it. 

_(He doesn't count the single tear that runs down his cheek as the sixth time.)_


	4. theseus, i'm sorry. are you?

Techno sits on his heels, holding out his hand, palm facing towards the sky. A turtle shuffles up to him, pressing its head against the back of his head. Techno smiles, patting the turtles head gently, glancing towards the lake that they all stay in. He wishes that he could expand it without having to move his turtles or accidentally hurt them or their eggs. He wonders if he could get Phil to help him with that, though he isn't sure if Phil would want to spend an entire afternoon shoveling sand away and moving an entire ocean. Techno watches the turtle shuffle away, sliding along the sand until it slides into the lake, swimming peacefully. 

He closes his eyes, sighing as he lets himself fall back, tilting his head up as he presses his back against the dirt wall. He's thankful for the large wooden platform that hangs above the turtles, thankful that Phil remembered to put it up. As much as it's for the turtles and so the lake doesn't freeze over, somehow, it's also useful to keep the sun out of his eyes. Techno buries his hands in the sand, raising finger after finger, flicking sand away from him. He listens to his turtles chirp to each other, listens to the way that move around in the sand, hearing them splash and swim in the cool water. Techno thinks that he'd like to be able to just swim away from all of his problems. 

Techno opens his eyes, heaving a sigh when he hears someone's footsteps echo from where he can't quite see. He hopes to god that they're Phil's - Techno really, really needs someone to talk to right now, and it isn't like he's going to ask without prompting. He closes his eyes again, figuring that Phil will announce his presence in a few seconds. Instead, Techno listens to someone hit the ground next to him, kicking up sand. Techno scoffs, sputtering as he stands up as quickly as he can, shaking off the sand that's fallen in his lap, swearing under his breath as he feels it slide into his boots. Techno looks up, about to ask why the hell Phil thought that would be funny, but..it's not Phil, not even close. Tommy looks back at him, the bags under his eyes heavier than Techno has ever seen them.

Techno opens his mouth to say something, but his words get stuck in his throat, leaving him with his jaw hanging open. He breathes out, swallowing past the lump in his throat, looking down at the sand, at his feet. Tommy doesn't say anything, either, so he doesn't feel nearly as bad for not speaking. Techno sits back down, pretending like he didn't jump up because his brother startled him. He drags a leg up to his chest, resting his head on his knee, keeping his hands wrapped around his leg. Tommy sits down, dragging both legs to his chest, burying his head in his knees. His arms are wrapped over his head, and Techno wishes that he could act like it doesn't hurt him to see Tommy like this. 

They sit in silence for what feels like years, and Techno quite honestly thinks that it could easily be actual years that pass between them. He looks up at the sky, silently wishing that he had picked a better place to hide. He wishes that he had disappeared in the Nether, or that he went out into the woods, too far to be found. But alas, he thinks, it's far too late for that. It isn't like he can just stand up and leave - he _wants_ to fix things with Tommy. He wants to fix everything, even though he thinks that most of what happened isn't his fault. Ultimately, maybe it was. Maybe he should have just let them rebuild their stupid governments, playing politics and letting history repeat over and over again until they all died, leaving their descendants to deal with their messes. 

"So," Techno clears his throat, tapping his fingers against the sand, wondering if he can find a way to bury himself under it, but in a way that Tommy won't notice. Techno thought that he used to be the expert of getting out of social situations he didn't want to be in, but right now, all of his escape methods are nullified. He doesn't _want_ to leave, and that's the problem. Techno wants to talk things through, he wants to apologise and tell Tommy that he'll always support him and be here, but he _can't_ , and he doesn't know _why_. Techno breathes out, not entirely sure why he feels like he wants to cry. Maybe because he might have completely destroyed any chance of a healthy relationship with his little brother, he thinks. "I'm sorry."

The words are rushed and they feel like hot oil on his tongue, but he manages to get them out. Tommy snaps his head up, his shoulders squaring. Tommy stares at him, and if Techno looks closely enough, it looks like Tommy's been crying. It makes his chest hurt, it makes his heart ache. It makes his head scream out that _it's his fault_ , that he _needs to fix it_ , but Techno doesn't know _how_. He doesn't know how to fix anything, because all he's ever done in his life is just make things _worse_. Tommy blinks rapidly, nodding a few times, looking like he's been punched in the face. 

"Me too," Tommy murmurs. "I'm- I'm also sorry," he whispers, biting down on his lip as soon as the words leave his mouth. The silence fades back in, overlapping anything else that should be said between the two of them. Techno turns back to look at the lake, watching the turtles shamble back onto the sand, some of them leaving the lake, some of them just coming out. They look at rest, they look peaceful. None of them have to worry about anything like this. None of them have to worry. Techno wonders if it would be easier to just leave this place, to completely restart. He wants to not have to worry about this. He wants to be peaceful. "Techno, I..really, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." 

Techno nods, wondering if either of them really have to apologise. "I shouldn't have asked," Techno looks back to Tommy, hoping that his little brother can tell that his words are genuine and sincere. God, he hopes that Tommy can tell that he's not lying. "Tommy, you don't..you don't have to stay here if you don't want," Techno murmurs. "I'll find Dream, and I'll kill him. I can figure out where he is, and when he's dead, you can go back home. Back to L'manberg, with Tubbo. With your best friend. And you'll never have to see me again, okay?" Techno swallows, wishing that the words would stop hurting so much to say. "I understand. You don't have to-"

"Shut up," Tommy whispers, and Techno feels a warmth at his side. Tommy wraps his arms around Techno, his head resting against his shoulder. Techno forces himself to relax, wrapping an arm around Tommy, bringing him closer. "I don't want to leave. I want Dream dead, and I want my discs, and I want Tubbo back, but I don't want to leave. I want a lot of things Technoblade, and I- you're one of those things. You're one of those people," Tommy corrects. "You're one of those people that I want. That I need, even. I'm really bad at being alone, Techno," Tommy murmurs. "I'm really, really bad at being alone. And I- I don't know why I snapped, I don't know why I yelled at you, 'cause it wasn't your fault."

"Tommy," Techno murmurs, feeling his chest hurt a little less. "You can blame it all on me if you want," he forces a smile, though Tommy can't even see it. "Everythin' that's gone wrong, you can pin it on me. You can hate me and you can make it all my fault. It's a lot easier to blame someone else rather than yourself, and you- you can do that, Tommy. You don't have to pretend like it's all your fault, you can blame me. I'm tellin' you Tommy, I'm _askin'_ you, I'm..I'm askin' you to pin it on me. Not yourself." 

Tommy pulls away, staring at him with something like disbelief all over his face. "Techno, for once in your life, I would like you to shut the fuck up and _listen_ to yourself," he shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowing together. "None of this, other than killing my best friend and destroying L'manberg, is your fault. What happened in Log- what happened to _me_ in Logstedshire, that..that wasn't you. None of that was you. Nothing that's happened recently is your fault, okay, you big, dumb, stupid pig? Do you understand? I don't want to blame it all on you. I'm..Wilbur told me that taking responsibility for the things I've done means that- that I can be in control of them. And I'm not gonna let you be more in control than me, okay?" 

The joke falls flat, it's weak and told without humour. Techno can see the message past Tommy's words, what he's really trying to get at. Apologising has always been hard for both of them. Owning up to their mistakes has always been a struggle. Acting like they care about each other has always been one of their biggest difficulties. Neither of them are good at saying what they really mean, masking it behind jokes and lies. Techno thinks that they're long past being able to joke about this. They're long past being able to pretend like that night, all those days ago, didn't happen. 

"Okay," Techno nods, feeling his lips curve up into a smile. "Okay. Um," he clears his throat, looking up at the sky. He tries to blink away the tears that he thinks might be forming, wishing he could blame it on the sun or something else stupid. Techno stands up, offering a hand to Tommy, who takes it a second later, dragging himself up. Techno smiles at his little brother, reaching out to ruffle his hair. Tommy doesn't flinch - instead, he practically fucking preens into the touch, and Techno can't help but laugh. "You're like a weird cat." Tommy immediately scowls at him, flipping him off. 

"Oh, fuck you, Technoblade," Tommy grins, hopping up to grab the ledge over the dirt wall, dragging himself out of the turtle pit. "You are a dickhead, did you know that? An absolute dickhead. I do not like you," he announces, and Techno can't help but grin as he drags himself out of the pit, beaming at Tommy when he makes it out. "You're the worst. The actual worst."

Techno laughs, shoving his hands in his pockets. He feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of his shoulders, like he's finally free from something that had been pinning him down. Things have reverted back to normal with a few simple words, and Techno doesn't know how that is. He smiles as he walks along in the snow, only now noticing that Tommy still has his coat on. Techno figures that he'll just tell Phil to stop working on a coat for Tommy, since he's practically decided that Techno's coat is his own. Techno feels lighter than he has in the past three or four days of not talking to Tommy. 

Phil had pulled him aside and, very nicely, told him to "get his fucking shit together, Jesus fucking Christ". Techno can only assume that he did the same for Tommy, because Phil has always been unbelievably blunt, never dancing around feelings, even when Techno thinks that it would be better to. "Bein' serious," Techno clears his throat. "I'm glad we've started talkin' again, Tommy," he ducks his head when Tommy turns to look at him. "Really. I missed you." Tommy beams at him, his eyes soft. 

"Yeah, uh," Tommy laughs, nodding a few times. "Yeah. Me too, Techno. But, uh, you didn't hear that." Techno laughs, nodding along with the words. 

"Didn't hear a thing. And you heard nothin', either, right?"

Tommy grins at him. "What, about you telling me how much you missed me?" Techno stares at him. "Oh, Technoblade, who do you think I am? I hear everything! I'm not- wait, what are you- Techno," Tommy laughs, his grin only widening as he laces mock-panic into his words. "Put the sword away, Techno! Put the sword back, we don't need to resort to- _ah!_ " Techno starts to run, though Tommy has a few metres of a head start. 

"You are _so_ dead!" Techno calls after his little brother, listening to the way Tommy laughs and pitches his voice up, his screaming nearly deafening. "I'm goin' to _murder_ you, TommyIn-" 

He blinks. 

There is _snow_ in his fucking _eyes_. 

Techno reaches up, wiping away the snow on his face. Tommy is stood there, his chest heaving. He looks like he's two seconds away from keeling over, and Techno can barely force back a smile. Tommy looks so unbelievably happy, like he's finally free from whatever was haunting him. 

"You're goin' to die by my hands." 

"Nope!" Tommy laughs, kicking up snow as he starts to run again, stumbling on his feet as he scoops up snow in the process.

Techno laughs as he chases his little brother, holding up his arm to block snowballs thrown at him, eventually throwing his sword to the ground in favour of snow. He swears that he can hear Phil laughing from his porch, from _their_ porch, but he tries to keep his attention on the little gremlin in front of him. The one with bright eyes and a huge grin, the one who finally is laughing and talking to him again. 

Today, Techno thinks to himself as he avoids snowballs filled with ice thrown at him by his brother, is probably one of the best days of his entire life. 


End file.
